MacDill a 'Tree City' worth noting this Arbor Day

  • Published
  • By Nick Stubbs
  • 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  "I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree."

The iconic first stanza by poet Joyce Kilmer is a humble admission that words, even his own, cannot do justice to the wonder that is a tree. On this day, Arbor Day 2011, we might pause as we go about our business to take note of the trees around us on MacDill Air Force Base, which has the distinction of being designated a "Tree City USA."

The title is awarded by adhering to National Arbor Day Foundation and National Association of State Foresters standards. The base also qualifies by budgeting funds to manage and care for trees on base, said Jason Kirkpatrick, natural resources manager with the 6th Civil Engineer Squadron.

MacDill's bounty of trees

Because MacDill is 70 years old, the many trees planted at the inception of the base are mature and majestic, making it something of a Dendrologist's dream. Live oaks, longleaf pines, palms, four species of mangrove, maple and poplar trees abound at MacDill, along with dozens of other native and non-native trees.

The tree variety on base today, however, is vastly different than it was when MacDill was wild and undeveloped, said Mr. Kirkpatrick. The reason is human intervention.

MacDill, before man, was like many Florida wilds - consisting mostly of pine trees and palmettos. When people moved in, natural brush fires were suppressed, which allowed oak trees to survive and join the more fire-resistant pines.

"We see a lot of oaks that are 50 or more years old here," said Mr. Kirkpatrick.

While large, these oaks are not old or big enough to be classified as "majestic" or "mighty" oaks, he said. One of the largest is between the Officers Club and Bayshore Boulevard, Mr. Kirkpatrick notes.

Many people noticed the abundance of acorns from oaks this year. One of the interesting scientific theories for the cycle is that it occurs to overwhelm the wildlife that feed on acorns, leaving more acorns to sprout and grow trees.

How can a tree be aware it must combat animals to improve reproduction? It's one of the unsolved mysteries of nature, said Mr. Kirkpatrick.

Some of the larger stands of pine tree on MacDill are located at the southern end of the base near the old ammunition bunkers, he said. Tall and straight, in days of old, pines were the primary source of masts for sailing ships.

Most of the palm trees on base are transplants as part of landscaping projects. While they say "Florida" in a lot of people's minds, they can't technically be described as native to MacDill, said Mr. Kirkpatrick. Nor can several nuisance and invasive species of trees found on the base.

Brazilian pepper, Australian pines, lead trees, and melaleuca trees inhabit much of the base and are often removed as part of 6th CE management efforts. Resilient and fast growing, these invaders were either planted or carried here by birds, winds or tides, said Mr. Kirkpatrick.

Of all the trees on base, perhaps none is more distinctive and talked about than the huge banyan tree near the northeast corner of Seminole Indian Place and Florida Keys, between the fire station and U.S. Special Operations Command headquarters.

The tree is large and spreads wide, with many distinctive prop roots that allow it to grow wider with ever-expanding trunks that eventually grow together. Its large, leathery leaves provide a huge canopy of shade, and many people gather under this expansive native of India during the heat of the day, watching squirrels feed on the reddish figs it produces.

The tree is at least 50 years old, and possibly 70, Mr. Kirkpatrick estimates, adding that it was likely planted there as an ornamental. As large as the MacDill banyan is, there is a banyan in India that resembles a forest of its own, covers four acres and has a circumference of about a half a mile. It's said it can shelter 2,000 people.

On this Arbor Day, consider that as MacDill ages and the inhabitants and workers of today pass, the majestic trees rooted on this spit of land jutting into Tampa Bay will become taller and wider, living symbols of the past growing slowly into the future. And as Joyce Kilmer concluded, forever too lovely for words.